I love how many people seem to think that Canada is some sort of bizarre little hat on top of the US.

I mean, I know it is America's hat, but those are seriously funny-looking.

Also, to be clear: the image Rob posted on top is a satellite image, warped slightly to fit the smudge. No one actually drew things like Italy and Japan to that level of detail. But I was disappointed -- I would have loved it if the collective consciousness actually could provide that level of detail, like the wisdom of crowds guessing the ox's weight.

mcsnee
—
2014-01-08T19:56:06Z —
#10

Also interesting: each of the sample maps has a pretty narrow Central American isthmus, but they're all displaced, east to west, relative to each other. I'm not sure if turning the Americas neckless is the best way to render that (but I can't figure out a different way to do it if you're working with superposition as your baseline model).

Hanglyman
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2014-01-08T20:03:43Z —
#11

I think all this proves is that drawing is really fucking hard.

patrace
—
2014-01-08T20:18:12Z —
#12

Oh no! Alaska has been amputated!

TornPaperNapkin
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2014-01-08T20:25:34Z —
#13

For some reason this makes me want to draw a map. You know what would be funny? Having a continuous map that people can submit to (I guess it would have to be vetted somehow).

The average map of the world's perception (skewed by internet access).

vrplumber
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2014-01-08T21:01:31Z —
#14

The Panama Canal is going to have to be waaaay longer in this world.

AnthonyC
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2014-01-08T21:10:25Z —
#15

Un-vetted, I can imagine about 4 images it might converge on. One of them is a cat.

unshaved_weirdo
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2014-01-08T21:16:48Z —
#16

It's more about his compound algorithm than about what people submitted, because out of 12 original maps 7 contain a distinct Britain, and one even has Ireland. Now Italy and even Sicily, for example, come out pretty nicely in the compound, although I have trouble finding it in the originals at all.

Michael_Dawson
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2014-01-08T22:14:51Z —
#17

And New Zealand gone again, no surprises there.

traska
—
2014-01-08T22:32:45Z —
#18

A cat, with breasts, made out of bacon, with Chuck Norris' head.

halloween_jack_
—
2014-01-08T23:13:09Z —
#19

This just in: high school student establishes that most people can't draw for shit.

AnthonyC
—
2014-01-08T23:56:54Z —
#20

3/4 agreement! I would guess the cat would be rather well endowed, and hermaphroditic.